The board of Japan’s Universal Entertainment Corp says that adding more guest rooms “is the highest priority” for its Philippines integrated resort Okada Manila after the property recorded an operating loss of JPY17.97 billion in 2018.
While sales for the year increased to JPY93.27 billion as Okada Manila, which first opened in December 2016, finally began full-scale operations, Universal’s 2018 Financial Report, released Friday, eluded to limitations in hotel room inventory as restricting its current growth trajectory with hotel occupancy sitting at 98.3% across the full 12-month period.
In a written reply to Inside Asian Gaming’s inquiries, Okada Manila said it expects to double its room capacity from the 493 currently open in Tower A, stating “TowerB will add an additional 500 rooms over the next year.”
Universal added in its Financial Report that it was also planning expansion of its gaming areas in 2019 including the addition of a casino exclusively for VIP guests, plus more restaurants and a larger shopping mall in order to attract more guests.
Most important, though, will be the addition of hotel rooms which it says will promote “growth in the casino business as well as better position the resort to host large group events and foreign tour groups.”
